Party Pooper
by Mrs Dionysius O'Gall
Summary: Post episode for 7.20.
1. Two Words Dolly Parton

"Sookie, have you ever wanted to...uh...you know, just kill yourself?" Lorelai asked the question with a frisson of frustration as she huddled outside, talking into her phone. It was just a regular spring evening, but Lorelai felt summer-hot and flushed. 

Clearly startled by the sudden call and question, Sookie carefully placed the knife she'd been wielding onto her kitchen table, and gifted Davey with an incredulous stare as she sighed, then whispered, "Don't touch...it's Auntie Lorelai, shh."

She shifted to a more comfortable position, before asking her friend, "Are you speaking hypothetically or is there something you're trying to tell me?"

Lorelai nervously giggled, then clarified, "Hypothetically, of course."

"Well, not me, but Jackson..." Sookie replied. "We are married, you know..." Sookie proclaimed in a matter-of-fact tone, "but then, you should know what that's like..."

Sookie heard the quick hitch of breath, and guiltily realized that Lorelai's face had likely quickly crumpled.

"Aw Hon, sorry. But yeah. I get frustrated and even angry with him, well of course..." She patted her belly. "The new baby..." she stammered.

But Lorelai, as usual, quickly recovered. "Aw Hon, now it's my turn to say I'm sorry. Of course, you'd want to kill Mr. Said-he-had-the-snip-snip. It's just that..."

Sookie's voice suddenly brightened. "Ooh!" she squealed. "It's Luke, isn't it? You two are getting..."

"No!" Lorelai quickly burst her bubble. "We are trying, trying to be friends again..."

"Did something happen in the maze?"

"No, no..."

"But you want to kill yourself...did you do something?" Sookie probed. "Ooh ooh," she continued, "Did he and Christopher, you know..." Sookie whispered conspiratorially, "you know...fight again!"

Lorelai archly answered, "No! And sit down! I can tell that you're bouncing up and down."

But Sookie continued, sighing as she lovingly continued, "It must be wonderful to have two such hunky men engage in fisticuffs over you. Your very own McDine-y and Mc--Mc--McWhine-y..."

"Sookie!" Lorelai's sharper tone yanked Sookie out of her euphoria. "Stop that...now!"

"Spoilsport," Sookie muttered, then took a deep breath, calming herself. "Come on...spill..." she cajoled as she returned to a normal breathing pattern.

"You know how I went back into the diner and it didn't go too well. How it was, well, really weird."

"So you told me. Plus, I did see the to-go cup in the trash..."

"It's weird, Sook. Not easy."

"Aw, Hon, give it time. Give him time. I mean, you did say that he was wearing the blue cap, right? And it can't be easy for him; it's not like he was dating or married, yet he saw you with Chris all the time..."

"Ya. I know. I claim temporary insanity for that..." Lorelai sighed.

"Aw, Hon. Maybe you could try again?" Sookie helpfully suggested. "It can't get any worse, right?"

"Oh, it gets worse. Very much so."

"Uh huh?" Sookie prompted.

"Two words. Dolly Parton."

"You got breast implants?" Sookie asked, "In one evening?"

"Karaoke night."

"Ah!" Sookie gasped. "You didn't get drunk like at Lane's wedding or, or dance on tables..." Lorelai's friend's voice trailed off in sympathy as she realized how serious she sounded.

"No." Lorelai was using her 'small' voice, as Sookie liked to think of, the one that meant she was very serious.

"I...I...sang a song...to him...well not to him, it was to Rory, about how I'd always love...and then...and then...he just walked in and was looking at me like he used to when...and I couldn't stop, Sook, I just couldn't, and I sang that I love...and the whole town was there, well 'cept you and Jackson and Davey and Martha, and now they all know that I never stopped loving him and..."

A high-pitched squeal interrupted Lorelai's outpouring.

"Sookie! Stop!"

"Sorry, Hon. I'm sure everyone else was in a karaoke mood and you didn't embarrass yourself."

"But now...he...Luke...he knows…"

"Oh hon, he's always known. You should go talk. To him, right now."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah. He doesn't have to know if you don't want him to. Just tell him you want to set the record straight, that it was a Rory song."

"Aw, Sookie, you're the best!" Lorelai exclaimed. "The best friend..."

"Davey, put that knife down!" a distracted Sookie was now addressing her son.

"Thanks, Sookie," Lorelai quietly ended the call.

Straightening, she still felt warm, but strode determined down the street.


	2. Lorelai Froze

Minutes later, Lorelai stood at the diner's steps, peering through the slats and trying to will her feet into carrying her into the place she'd once considered a second home. She and Luke had always been so close, and most of their most profound conversations had taken place there.

"Ten years," Lorelai whispered to herself, when she saw that Luke had noticed her. She'd look pretty damn stupid if she continued standing out in front, so she met his eyes and resolutely entered the diner. She marched straight to the counter and took a seat.

"Still have some coffee?" Lorelai asked. Best to pretend that the karaoke hadn't happened, she thought.

"Nope. At this time of night?"

"Oh," Lorelai responded, deflated in spirit as Luke continued his cleanup chores behind the counter.

"Can I get you something else?" Luke asked.

There was a time when you didn't have to ask that, she thought. There was a time when you didn't use that damn customer service tone with me.

"No," she responded after a few seconds. "Not that hungry. Just walked by, looking for a pick-me-up."

Luke took a deep breath, then looked straight at her. "Well, I can make some...take a few minutes." His voice was barely audible as he spoke. "I guess you do need coffee, you looked like you'd had a few up there." He inclined his head towards the door, in the direction of the bar.

Lorelai considered his offer for a second, then stood and grabbed her handbag.

"You don't have to leave," Luke gruffly added. "Pot's ready, clean...coffee'll be up in a few..."

"Ok. Thanks, Luke," Lorelai expressed sincerely as she sat back down at her once-habitual space at the counter. As Luke finished readying the diner for the night, she watched out of the corner of her eye as he drew each blind closed. She propped her elbows on the counter and rested her chin on her clasped hands.

So, she apparently hadn't sung that song to him, Luke thought, otherwise, knowing her, she'd be too mortified to face him.

At least, he continued his silent conversation, she'd finally resumed her diner-going habit. It was about time. Until she'd shown up the other day, he'd forgotten how long it was since she'd been in. Weeks before their actual break-up, he figured, not counting the night of her ultimatum.

"Rough night, huh? This'll perk you up."

Lorelai lifted her head from its resting place on her folded hands as Luke's voice interrupted the silence. He stood, hemming and hawing, holding a mug of coffee in front of her.

"See," she pointed out, smiling wanly, "Tired. Obviously need coffee."

Luke slid the coffee towards her on the counter and turned back to attend to the coffeemaker. Silence reigned as both continued their silence, each acutely aware of the awkwardness between them. He grabbed a dishrag and busied himself once more. Watching him, Lorelai felt self-conscious about being alone in the diner with him, and that thought saddened her. This building was, after all, where they'd shared so many moments. And upstairs...well, upstairs was the place where they'd first made love, where she'd watched Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert while he slept, where he cooked her wonderful gourmet dinners...

Under her gaze, Luke turned back self-consciously. "Something wrong with the coffee? You haven't had any yet..." He skipped a beat before asking, "You take it the same way, right?"

Oh. He was referring to the coffee. Lorelai mutely nodded her head up and down.

"Hope this still tastes good," Luke quietly nodded in her direction.

Lorelai finally took a sip, unsure if she should immediately gulp the coffee down, or take it slow.

"So Rory, she's ready to graduate," Luke continued. "She looked so mature this morning."

Lorelai continued her silence, amazed that he was being so genial when she was the one who broke them up, and she was the one who'd once again made a drunken spectacle of herself.

"Lorelai? Lorelai?"

"Rory! Yes. Graduating on time in spite of what happened..." Lorelai waved her hand between them.

"Yeah." The boat thing, of course. The thing that kept her from marrying him, his mind added.

Lorelai took another sip of her coffee, relieved that he seemed to know what she was referring to without making her spell out the whole story of the rift caused by the boat theft.

For a few moments, it was comfortable.

"She invited me," Luke informed her.

"What?" Lorelai sputtered absent-mindedly, increasingly overwhelmed by the feeling of homecoming that being in the diner in such close proximity to Luke engendered in her.

"She invited me," he clarified, "to Yale. The graduation..."

"Oh yeah. Good," Lorelai said.

"Right," Luke said softly. "Look, Lorelai..."

"Luke, please. Go! You should go. Take April with you, I'm sure she'd love it. If she's here, that is. Really, it's going to be quite the production. Did you hear who the honorary degree muckety-mucks are going to be?" She stopped for a microsecond to finish off the last gulps of coffee in the mug, and abruptly changed the subject. "I...I should get going. It's late...and I'm sure Paul Anka's waiting. He hasn't been used to being alone lately..." Her voice trailed off, embarrassed at having alluded to her late marriage and 'family'.

Great, just great, thought Lorelai. Now I'm using my dog as an excuse. Damn it, she was trying to be friends with Luke, and it wasn't as if they'd never been alone in the many years before they'd first slept together. But that was before she'd gone and married Christopher.

"He'll be fine. You want me to fix a burger for him? More coffee for you, to-go?" Luke helpfully offered.

"Sure. Uh, wait. No. No thanks. It was wonderful, though." Lorelai pushed her mug away from her towards the center of the counter.

Luke inhaled deeply, and turned towards her, standing with hands on hips and seemingly wanting her to leave. But suddenly, Lorelai found that she couldn't--didn't--want to leave. All she could think about was that night: that horrible, terrible night when she issued her ultimatum just yards from where she was seated. And she meant it. But damn it, nothing in her life had felt right since then. She'd married the man she wanted to want, and that didn't work out, because he wasn't the man she wanted. No fancy Parisian restaurant could make her feel as good as this simple diner. No man could make her feel as good as the man she let get away.

And now she was here alone with the man she didn't want to want, yet couldn't stop wanting. It had felt so right when he held her in his arms. It had felt so right when they woke up together. It had felt so right when she walked into the diner and teased him. She just wanted it all to feel right again. And tonight, as she saw him enter the bar, he looked at her and she knew that the song she was singing was right. She wished him love.

Problem was, she wished him her love.

Lorelai involuntarily closed her eyes and remembered what he looked like when they made love.

"Lorelai?"

Yes most of all, it had felt so right when she sang tonight.

Her eyes flew open and met his across the counter. She noticed how tired he seemed; how there was more grey in his stubble than before, and how pale he seemed.

"So, enough about my kid; how are things going with the new April arrangement?"

Poor Luke, she thought. The new custody arrangement with its frequent cross-country flights must be tiring. She knew how he hated to travel; how he was barely able to sleep in 'strange' beds.

"It's tiring, but I get to see her, and that's what counts."

"You look tired, Luke."

"I'm OK. It's April I worry about. What if she doesn't want to leave her friends to fly out here? What if she gets used to not having me around as much as before she moved..." He dropped his gaze, staring at the floor.

"You're her dad," Lorelai stated with absolute certainty, knowing that that fact was all that mattered.

"Yep."

"And you've turned out to be a great dad." Lorelai beamed, sincere in both word and expression. "Such a great dad..."

Luke nodded his appreciation, and Lorelai stood once more, and resolutely stated, "Well, I really am going to get going now," pushing her stool flush against the counter. "Good night, Luke, and thank you." Lorelai reached into her purse for some change.

Luke gently pushed her hand away. "On the house," he shyly explained.

"But I didn't dispense any advice...like I did this morning..." Lorelai explained.

"Well, think of it as a thank you," Luke shrugged. "For the song..." he quietly added.

Lorelai froze. 


	3. Say the Words

What?" Luke asked, his voice suddenly sounding bitter. "Something I said hit home?"

"No..." Lorelai continued, as she turned to make her way out of the establishment.

But Lorelai found that she couldn't take another step. Luke was standing in front of her now, backing her to the counter.

"Luke, what...?" Lorelai's mind was racing. What was going on? What the hell was Luke doing?

"Lorelai, I...I..."

Luke stood, still blocking her path, breathing heavily. He was staring at her, no: through her. Quite blatantly, in fact. Lorelai had heard the phrase "undressing her with his eyes" many times, and even been at the receiving end of Luke's eyes, but...but this, this was something in a class of its own.

Butterflies, she thought. Butterflies and dragonflies doing somersaults in her tummy.

Stop it! She commanded herself. It's Luke. You're just friends. He probably just wants to give you...

"The song was for Rory!" she got out in a rush.

"Really."

"Yes, for Rory. Because of graduation. Luke?" she continued in spite of herself.

Luke continued to stare at her. His eyes, normally clear-blue, were indigo-blue-dark and unreadable.

"Luke, please? I need to get home." Lorelai was intrigued but still, panicked. Maybe he was finally going to unload all his pain at her betrayal onto her.

"Lorelai," Luke huskily said, and took a step toward her, closing the distance between them to mere inches. She had not been this close to him in over a year.

"How could you do this to us, Lorelai? All those years I waited for you..."

Here it comes, she thought.

"All those years and then you...and April...and married Christopher...and now...tonight...the song...you're here."

Lorelai heard his words as if she was underwater, snippets of clarity and fuzziness.

"How can we be just friends when I still love you?" she clearly heard him say as his hands reached for her.

"Luke. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did. God knows what you must have thought."

Guilt flooded through him. This was all his fault, all because he'd been careless with Anna, and then compartmentalized April, yet here she was, actually asking him for forgiveness.

Luke cleared his throat. "Lorelai, you have nothing to be sorry for."

Lorelai bit her lip and then lifted her face to his with a determined expression.

Her hand reached up to stroke his jaw line, reveling in its familiarity.

Say it. You sang it, you can say it, she thought.

She was still looking at him.

Tell him. Say the words.

"Lorelai," he said, "I love you. Never stopped. Not once."

Oh, god, I don't believe this, he loves me still...Lorelai mused as his hands gripped her shoulders and he stepped forward, pushing her harder against the counter.

"Just tell me this, Lorelai?" Luke asked in a husky voice. "Do you still...?"

"Love you?" Lorelai whispered.

I should be angry with him, Lorelai thought, but how can I when he is nuzzling my ear and thank god, thank god, thank god...But this is Luke, and she--they--couldn't, shouldn't...

"Lorelai. You owe me an answer." He placed small kisses along one ear, tracing her entire lobe with his soft lips. She idly sank forward into him, hovering in the space between counter and Luke, as he made his way to her other side.

He was bent close over her, his hands moving to her waist, and in one fluid motion, hoisted her up onto the counter.

"Luke." Good. Her voice was steady. "Luke. I didn't know that you'd decide to show up."

"Why?" he asked her, as he barked a short laugh. "What, you would have switched to a different song?"

"Yes," she replied, her voice still steady. "I'm sorry if the song...hurt you...you don't need me to..."

"Do you know what I really need?" he hoarsely whispered as his grip on her tightened.

Lorelai was frantically thinking. Thanks to the unintended consequence of her song, he knew everything. This...this was all wrong. He should be furious because she slept with Christopher. He should be angry because she married him. But if that was what he was feeling, he sure had a funny way of showing it. His voice was murmuring in gravelly tones about how much he loved and wanted and needed her, how much he'd missed her, and how he just needed, just wanted, a chance to show her exactly what he meant by that. How he could be a really great boyfriend, fiancé, whatever, how he had learned to handle more than one thing in his life.

Luke now gently cupped her face in his hands and kissed across her face...forehead, left eyebrow, right eyebrow, the space between her brows, the tip of her nose, left cheek, right cheek, all the while trailing his soft lips with the slight pleasant rasp of his stubble.

"Lorelai?" He questioningly sighed her name as he began kissing along her jaw line.

"Luke, please, we can't do this."

He abruptly stopped, halfway down her left side.

"Why not?" he firmly stated, looking at her.

Lorelai intended to respond but was interrupted.

"Oh," he added, "You not divorced yet?"

"I, no, it's not that. And yes, yes."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Luke asked.

"This. We can't, just do it." When did her voice begin to shake, she wondered.

He just watched her.

"I meant," Lorelai continued, "Yes. I'm divorced. And..." her voice trailed off..."I still, I still love you."

Luke's hands were back at her waist. "You do? You do!" he whispered.

"Luke, please." Why did her voice sound so far away?

"Is that a request?" he murmured.

What the hell was wrong with him? What the hell was wrong with her? If they were to be just friends, he'd have to keep his hands off her. But why were her hands now cupping his jaw line? Why couldn't she resist him?

"Please what?" he reiterated, looking her in the eyes. She'd seen that look before. On their great first date. In the limo. A couple of times in her office at the Inn, after hours when guests and staff were dormant. His eyes were dark and wide, burning with intensity.

She vaguely realized that someone--she!--was slipping her top off, and her necklace was now on the floor.

When she couldn't answer, Luke continued. "Please Luke, do this?" He placed a kiss at the hollow of her throat. "Or please, Luke, stop? Or please Luke, don't stop. Tell me what you want, Lorelai."

His right hand left her waist and was at her cheek, his thumb lightly tracing her bottom lip.

Lorelai's eyes closed of their own volition. If she continued to look at him, she'd lose herself in him, right there and then in the diner. She kept her eyes closed. Her clothes were still on, the situation was still salvageable, she told herself.

But when she spoke, her voice belied her intent. "I want you, Luke."

She didn't need to open her eyes to gauge his reaction. Deep down, she knew that he really meant it when he said he'd never really stopped loving her. Because it was true for her too, in spite of a marriage. In spite of playing mommy to Gigi. Lorelai sighed, a sense of peace coming over her as she realized that she was Liz to his Burton and they could never go back to the way things were before they'd been together.

And for the first time in over a year, Luke's lips finally touched hers again. Her hands, which had been cupping his face, now fiercely gripped handfuls of his shirt.

"Love you. Always. Want you," Luke whispered between kisses.

And then Lorelai kissed him back. 


	4. About Riding a Bike

It really is true what they say about riding a bike, she mused. You really never forget how. Sure, she'd given in a few times during her dalliance with and marriage to Chris and fantasized about Luke, but nothing was as good as the real thing. This was Luke: solid, hot, comfortably right-smelling. Zillions of little details about him that she'd pushed to the back of her mind to get over the pain of losing him came flooding back to her, as her lips reciprocated.

She took his lower lip between her teeth and Luke groaned into her mouth. This was one of his favorites, she recalled, as he nudged her knees apart and stood pressed against her as she remained on the counter.

"Luke!" she moaned.

Luke continued to kiss her, grateful that the diner was shielded against intrusive eyes. And while his mouth was definitely busy, his hands were not idle, reacquainting themselves with her torso.

When it came time to yield to the need for air, he pulled her against him, letting her rest her head against his chest. She could feel the wild pulsing of his heart, and that emboldened her. She pulled her top down, and reached blindly for his hands, placing them on her breasts. Luke leaned down to kiss her there, where his thumbs met to form a vee, his breath hot.

Lorelai dropped her head back to allow him access.

Luke continued kissing her lightly on her shoulders and neck. He moved a leg between hers, bending his knee so that his thigh came into contact with her center. The friction sent a little jolt through her.

Stop. Stop this now before it goes too far.

His mouth moved up her neck and back to her lips. Now his lips were tugging at hers more insistently. His tongue darted out and teased her mouth into opening again. The heat of his tongue stroking along hers sent molten honey sliding through her veins. His arms slid around her, pulling her off the counter and closer to him.

Lorelai returned the kiss, slipping her tongue into his mouth. Her arms twined around his neck as she laced her fingers through his hair, mouths moving deeply against, in out, and with, each other.

For several minutes, they continued to explore, relearning smell, taste, form and texture. There was not even the diner--just the part of them that touched. Everything that had been part of Lorelai and Luke's thoughts had disappeared: April, Rory, diner owner, innkeeper, mom of a college grad--all gone. Lorelai, reduced to living in a world of Luke, wondered if he was likewise drowning in the sensation of her.

Breathless, they parted and she looked up at him. His eyes were full of wonder and tenderness.

"Lorelai, can I kiss you again?" His gaze turned hungry and his hands were already tightening on her in anticipation.

No! Stop now. Stop while you can.

"I, oh..." Lorelai trailed off as he once again began rocking her against his leg. She trembled. It had been so long since anyone had held her like this. Holding her so that she knew, really knew, that she was beloved. It was happening now, it was Luke, filling her with a drunken languor. She was hypnotized by the gentle rhythm he set. By his wet swollen lips. By his darkened eyes watching her intently.

The soft aching sound of her name as he whispered it was her undoing.

I can't. I can't stop this. This is what I want. He is who I want.

He stopped and pulled her roughly against him.

Oh my god, she thought. I never knew how much I love him. I can't believe this.

"Oh, Luke," she murmured, reaching up to remove the blue cap, placing it behind her on the counter.

Lorelai thought she had loved him with passion when they were previously engaged, but the urgency she now felt clearly surpassed anything she'd felt so long ago. She pulled his head down and kissed him hard, to be recompensed by his fingers tugging at her skirt.

Without thinking, Lorelai stepped out of her skirt and panties as she frantically pushed at his shirt. Luke pushed her hands away and he himself quickly undid his belt and dropped his jeans to his ankles. He stepped out of them, kicking them clear across the diner floor, a feat which elicited a giggle from Lorelai. He toed off his shoes and stripped off his t-shirt. Bending down, he hurriedly tore off his shoes and socks. As he stood, he disposed of his boxers as he ran his hands up her legs and cupped her buttocks.

Finally, after so many months, after so many distant encounters, they were here. Home. Skin on skin, the contact was dizzying. Their mouths sought each other's lips, eyelids, throats, ears in a frenzy.

Between breaths, Lorelai felt as if she was falling and then realized that Luke had pulled her down to the floor, placing her onto his shirt.

"Oh yes. Luke."

Luke rolled so he was atop her, his mouth hotly afire as he slowly worked his way towards her breasts. Lorelai arched up beneath him to encourage him. His erection prodded her hips and she shifted so that he ended up between her legs, pressing heavily against her, making her dizzy with lust.

"Luke," she groaned as he nuzzled her left breast. A light sweat broke out across her body as she began to shiver.

She pressed his mouth against her and he obliged, swirling his tongue over a nipple before pulling it into his mouth and suckling gently. He moved to her other breast and Lorelai could only think, Luke. This is real. This is Luke.

"I meant it," she whispered.

Luke stopped his ministrations and looked up.

"The song. Always love you," she continued.

"I know," he quietly replied, as her hands re-surveyed the terrain of his shoulders and back, mapping out the surface she'd once known so well. She could feel how his muscles flexed beneath her hands and knew that his tension and nervousness matched hers.

And then, he stopped.

Lorelai moaned in frustration and flushed red with the embarrassment of confusion.

Luke lifted his body from hers, and knelt to her side. Bending to kiss her stomach, he murmured "this is wrong" and straightened.

Lorelai reached to try to pull him back onto her, but he resisted.

"This is wrong, Lorelai."

"Oh," she replied, embarrassed.

"I need you, Lorelai."

Lorelai was confused. His voice was still hoarse, and thick with desire, just like before...but this was wrong...?

Yet he was still lovingly looking down at her.

"Luke, please," she tried, hoping he was just trying to catch his breath.

He took her hand in his and reached behind her, grabbing his t-shirt and placing it over her.

"You must be cold." His eyes met hers and she realized, for the first time in her life, how much she truly loved him. Deep inside her, a surge of love welled up, and she knew, instinctively, what his next words would be.

"I love you too much to do this on the floor."

She swallowed, and nodded.

"We should go somewhere, somewhere special..." he continued. "You deserve special."

"No, I d..." she began to deny.

"You deserve special," Luke emphatically repeated, as he carefully settled down behind her, positioning her between his legs, her weight supported by his chest. "Before. I didn't show you enough, how special..."

"How special this is..." she agreed with him.

She sank against him, her hair covering his chest as he continued holding her.

And then the giggles began.

Lorelai bit her lip to suppress the giggles but simply couldn't.

"What?" Luke asked, with mock irritation.

"I don't want to wait," she petulantly gasped.

"We can wait," Luke countered.

"Special, smecial. There's one room open at the inn..." Lorelai offered. "We could go there...right now...I've redecorated since you last stayed there..."

"Don't care what it looks like," Luke gruffed back at her, and moved to get up, quickly dressing.

A moment later, Lorelai took the hand he'd stretched in her direction and let him pull her up.

"You ok?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Luke. Give me a sec." Her voice was soft.

Lorelai looked over at him as he retrieved her clothing. She was sure that he could see her frustration and knowing him, he was secretly pleased.

"You picked a hell of a time to practice chastity, Luke," she whispered into his chest as she helped him finish dressing her.

"Let me walk you home, Lorelai."

She pouted.

"Definitely, you're going home. Gotta save something for later."

Lorelai's heart sang at the promise of "later", as Luke guided her out of the diner. Lorelai's hand found his as they began walking. Finally, their silence was companionable, no longer awkward.

"Why, Lorelai? Why, I mean, why tonight, you could have stopped the song..." Luke interrupted as they rounded the corner.

Why had she continued singing, Lorelai mused. Rory would have understood, so why did she continue singing to Luke like a woman possessed?

"Because I will always love you," she answered.

So now they were in front of her house, acting like teenagers on a date, wondering if she should go along with his plan to wait, or make him come to his senses and drag him up to her room.

Lorelai retrieved her key before they reached the door.

Luke placed a soft kiss on her forehead at the door, then reached for the key in her hand.

"I'll get that," he said and unlocked the door, as he placed his hand on the small of her back to usher her in.

"Well, good night," he mumbled, apparently resolute in his plan.

"Luke." Her hand gripped his arm. She kissed him.

"Can you take a few days away from the inn?" he softly asked. "After Rory graduates?"

"Oh yeah?" she replied. "Got some plans?"

"Yeah. Thought I'd take you out on the boat. You know, up the coast a bit."

"And?"

"And?" he countered.

"Well, I might get seasick, you know. So how about we first get a room at a nice B&B?"

Luke grinned.

"And then," Lorelai continued, "I'm going to torture you for making us wait."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." She poked him in the chest. "I'm going to make love to you slowly, and talk the whole time, and laugh, and tell jokes and drive you crazy."

"Don't know what I did to deserve this abuse," he joked, as he placed a quick kiss on her lips, then turned to leave.

"Goodnight, Lorelai."

"G'night, party-pooper," she pouted.

When the door closed, she ran to the sofa and called her best friend.

"Rory? Are you still at the bar? You'll never guess..." 


End file.
